INTERVIEW WITH FAIZ OUMGHAR, MANAGING DIRECTOR LEICA GEOSYSTEMS MOROCCO, REGIONAL SALES MANAGER NORTH AFRICA

“One of the positive points of the crisis is the acceleration of the digitalisation of the construction sector”

Morocco has been out of lockdown since 25 June. How did you get through the second quarter and what is the situation for Leica today?

Like everyone, we were affected by the crisis. We were fortunate to keep some highly structural projects that continued in Morocco, particularly in March and April. We therefore did not need to resort to short-time working and we were able to guarantee that jobs were maintained.

It is paradoxical, but generally speaking the crisis has been beneficial for us. In fact, we made the most of this lockdown period to organise webinars for our customers in Morocco and across Africa. This concept allowed us to be even closer to them while continuing our activity. We were also able to convey information about new technologies and about the digitalisation of construction sites, which offers many advantages, particularly in terms of meeting deadlines and productivity gains.

So this lockdown period was a springboard for Leica?

We were fortunate to have a very effective IT structure before the lockdown and we were already using some remote working tools. During the lockdown, we had almost daily meetings where we reviewed the activity.

We also took advantage of this period to provide internal training and strengthen knowledge of our products. The webinars mentioned earlier dealt with specific customer issues. This concept worked very well because it met targeted expectations. We had a regular audience of more than a hundred people each time, which then translated, at the end of Ramadan, into a strong acceleration in activity.

A promising recovery for Leica! What arrangements have you put in place to guarantee the safety of your teams?

As soon as we returned to the office in Casablanca, all the necessary hygiene measures were put in place for the safety of our employees but also of our customers and all our partners: sanitising gel at the entrance, temperature checks, compliance with protective measures. Our spacious premises also allow us to observe distancing comfortably. In addition, Leica’s digital approach, which we have been advocating since we set up in Morocco two years ago, offers an alternative for customers who do not want physical contact. It reassures them, and for us it is the solution for continuing to carry out our demonstrations.

In your view, what would be the positive aspect of this crisis?

For the past ten years or so, the construction world, not only in Morocco but around the world, has been one of the sectors lagging furthest behind in digitalisation, even though digital is part of our daily lives. One of the positive aspects of the pandemic has been the acceleration of the sector’s digitalisation.

This crisis has also made it possible to discover new ways of collaborating remotely, both internally and externally. This remote working is just as effective and ultimately it reduces the travel costs and overhead costs that some sales staff may incur. This very singular period has allowed us to question ourselves, and that is a very positive aspect.